A Terrible Fate: The Happy Mask Salesman's Tale
by Maulbert
Summary: The Happy Mask Salesman meets a most unusual character. Warning: LoZ:MM spoilers!


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A Terrible Fate: The Happy Mask Salesman's Tale

By: Maulbert

Darkness was foreboding. The traveler, better known as the Happy Mask Salesman, hiked through the Kokiri Forest, looking for shelter from the storm. It looked almost abandoned; most of the Kokiri seeking shelter had left their little field. The traveler felt a drop of rain, and looked out across the field for a sheltered area.

He scanned the nearby areas, and noticed a log path to the north of the forest. Moving quickly, or as quickly as he could with a giant traveling pack on his back, he climbed up to the plateau where the log path was located. He ran through just as lightning was striking down near the forest, and he heard the loud thunder clap reverberate through the log.

He grabbed his ears, as the noise seemed to deafen them. As he exited the log, the rain came in droves, pouring down everywhere. Ahead of him were three more log pathways.

"Which way should I go?" He asked, knowing he was alone. Suddenly, a small laughing voice spoke up.

"You seek shelter, mister?" The tiny voice said.

"Yes, I do." The Traveler replied. He made out the small form of a Skull Kid, one of the many inhabitants of the Kokiri Forest. trailing him were two fairies, A purple one and a pink one.

"Then you should not have come to the Lost Woods," The Skull Kid replied. The Fairies laughed, and the purple one spoke up.

"Dumb hylian! You never know what you get yourselves into." He chuckled. The pink fairy looked at the purple, and scolded him.

"Oh, like you're so perfect, Tael. Don't forget the time you got lost in Termina." The purple fairy, Tael, scowled at the pink fairy upon her comment. The traveler, upon hearing this strange word, contorted his face to a puzzled look. The purple fairy, apparently worried about the direction this conversation was going, said, "I think we should help this drenched man."

"You're right, Tael," said the Skull Kid said, "we should help this poor man. Follow me!" The Skull Kid exclaimed. He turned around to head deeper into the Lost Woods, but the traveler, interested in the curious actions of the purple fairy Tael's apparent cover up of the pink fairy, Tatl's, slip of the tongue.

"What is Termina?" asked the traveler. The Skull Kid stopped, and slowly turned around.

"It's a.....place," The Skull Kid answered, then asked, "Can you keep a secret?" He chuckled a bit.

"Maybe, it depends," said the traveler, "what is it?"

"I like you," the Skull Kid smiled. " I'll make you a trade. You tell me a secret that can't be told, and I shall tell you what Termina is." The traveler was intrigued by this offer, if Termina was worth it, there was always Majora's Mask..... and what harm could this child do?

"I'll agree," said the traveler, "After you show me Termina."

"What would you tell me in return?" The Skull Kid asked.

"A legend of secret powers in a hidden object," The traveler said mysteriously. The Skull Kid seemed interested, and quickly agreed.

"Sounds like a fair deal," he said, "follow me!" The traveler ran to keep up as the Skull Kid dashed through the repetitive log paths. Soon, the rain began to let up and a dense fog settled over the woods. Soon, they came to a group of logs, stepping stones to a ledge inside a tree. The traveler watched as the Skull Kid vanished inside. As he stepped through, the ledge abruptly ended into a tall cliff.

The traveler attempted to keep his balance, but fell into what appeared to be a bottomless pit. He hit the ground hard, and looked up in time to see the Skull Kid laughing before he passed out.

****

The traveler woke up. He heard water running somewhere, but he couldn't see any. He looked up to see the Skull Kid.... Wearing Majora's Mask.

"I kept my bargain, now you are keeping yours." His voice was distorted by the mask's dark powers. "This is Termina," He said. "We're inside the Clock Town Tower." He grabbed the traveler by his ears. "Now tell me of this secret treasure." The traveler grabbed at the mask.

"Give that back!" He said, "you don't understand it's power!" The Skull Kid let go of his ears, and the traveler fell to the ground, and the Skull Kid stepped on the traveler's head, keeping him in submission.

"So, this is the secret treasure!" he said, fingering the mask. "Very interesting..." he said. The traveler was terrified, as the Skull Kid could easily destroy him with the power of the mask.

"Please don't! If you use that mask, a terrible fate will befall this land and darkness will break loose across the world!" The traveler attempted to reach for the mask again.

"You meddlesome idiot, you've caused enough trouble." The traveler realized in horror that this was no longer the Skull Kid speaking, but the mask itself. "In three days the moon will fall, but I shall have dealt with you for good long before then!" He raised his arms as if to strike the traveler, but before he could, one of the fairies spoke up.

"Skull Kid? Skull Kid? Are you all right?" Tael said. Worry and concern flew through the fairy's voice, and the Skull Kid seemed to snap out of his reverie. He lowered his arms and turned to the fairy.

"Of course," he said. The Skull Kid's voice had returned to normal, and he apparently had regained control of the mask. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Maybe we should return him to Hyrule," Tatl said, distaste to the Skull Kid's change in attitude apparent in her voice.

The Skull Kid looked at her. "Of course that was what I was going to do." He looked a little confused, but quickly regained his composure. He shook his head and the traveler saw streaks of light shoot from the mask's eight protruding points before he blacked out.

****

The traveler shook awake. He lay in a grassy field with dense fog all around. He recognized the Lost Woods from earlier. He stood up and looked around. The Skull Kid was no where in sight. He had to get back to this Termina before-

Suddenly he heard hoofs approaching, breaking into his train of thought. Ducking behind a nearby bush, the traveler saw a pony rush past with two figures. One was sitting on the horse's back, the other was holding onto the formers' leg. 

Like a strike of lightning, he suddenly recognized the two. The rider was the Skull Kid, who had stolen Majora's Mask. The other was a boy, no older than ten, who had been a happy mask salesman last summer. The boy's name was Link, if his memory served. He had been a particularly good salesman, but hadn't accepted praise very well, as though he had a greater cause.

He watched as the Skull Kid kicked him off the horse. The boy was persistent, and continued after the troublesome imp. The traveler, knowing that they were most likely headed for Termina, followed the two, although at a decent distance, as he had no intent to encounter the Skull Kid again. Eventually, they came to the large drop-off, and the boy fell after the imp.

Thinking quickly, the traveler pulled out the Mask of Flight, and jumped down the cliff. Using the mask's power, he circled above the two as events proceeded below. He heard the imp mention an Ocarina, and could barely believe his eyes as the imp used the mask's powers to turn the boy into a Deku Scrub. Soon the Skull Kid left the boy behind with one of the fairies. They argued for a moment before following the imp.

The traveler followed, into a room with many platforms. Using the Mask of Flight, he continued on into a narrow corridor. He felt pulled to the door at the end, and felt a strange sensation, the twisting of a vortex as if time had shifted. Once inside, the door slammed behind him. He looked around, recognizing the tower in which the Skull Kid had told him the moon would fall. He saw the Deku Scrub as he was leaving through two large iron-hinged doors. He spoke up.

"My, you've met with a terrible fate," He said. The scrub turned around and looked at him, squeaking. Unable to understand the scrub, but knowing the scrub understood him, the traveler continued on. "I've been following you," He said. "If you can bring back the precious thing the imp stole from you, I can return you to normal." The magic of the Song of Healing was powerful, indeed. "Just please return the mask he stole from me," The traveler said, "I must have it in three days." The scrub squeaked in agreement, and waddled out the door.

He hoped three days would be enough time. 

"May time be on your side," he said quietly......

END

of

"A Terrible Fate: The Happy Mask Salesman's Tale"

but Link will be back in

"No Scrubs: The Bomber's Tale"


End file.
